Expert: Stephen Tanenbaum - 9/15/2004

Question
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Right, it all sounds great but wheres the catch !

Love travelling,beach, activity any holiday- I'm up for it. Am 27 years, married. Have some cash but dont want to spend too much - but i like a good deal.
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Followup To
Question -
Wow - that is amazing!

My question is ....how on earth? How did you go about it...travelling free to all these places?

Can some normal old bod like me do it too? My adrenalin is buzzing just imagening it!

Please help - thank you.

Caroline
Answer -
Hi Caroline:

Okay, I know my 'intro' begged just such a question which for me is one step away from 'What is the meaning of life.'

We were doing so well and so often on the cheap/free global travel path that I decided I might as well write a book about it...which published etc etc. And for some years now I have enjoyed sharing our tales and tips with an international audience.

Now back to "CAROLINE".... Would be best if I had a bit of background vis a vis....age, vocation, do you have some, lots, little cash for travel and what are your major dream vacations!

Your timing is good since we've been sitting around far too many months. On 10/2 we're off to Maui for two weeks (free air) then Buffalo (Niagara Falls) (free air) and 2 weeks in Canada, Niagara, Toronto, Montrea where we pick up a re-positioning Princess two weeks from Montreal to Ft. Lauderdale. Then 2 weesk in FLorina/Orlando and finally home after two or so months. Wheeeewww.

IF we were returning from Buffalo the return American Airlines flight would also be FREE. In Orlando we'll stay at Embassay Grand Resort with its own beach/lake in a $200/day 1 BR suite for $35/day for six days.

Okay....just to let you know wwe are still up to our fun, free/bargain travel.

Look forward to some further details. Oh, hope you use credit card(s) since that is one big step toward global FREE travel.

Steve T.
PS: I meet interesting 'people' in our travels....see new pix I added to my bio. Later.

Answer
You, friends or family can do this one anytime. A Paris studio apartment for about $50/day. We know the owner and enjoyed an awesome month there. Also, had a young friend, your age, visit for a week. Here's my cyber album with some pix of the studio. such an apartment offers amenities that beat a $300/nite hotel room/suite. Just a first thought.

http://imageevent.com/worldromer/bestlittleparisapartment

First nuts and bolts for free travel.

Two credit cards that do cost money BUT lead to free travel.
Apply for/buy a Diners Club card for $95 and get 1000 miles per month with a single purchase per month ($5 Shell gas works) for 12,000 miles. Apply for a Citibank AAdavantage Master CArd ($50) and get 10,000 instant miles.
Open a free American Airlines frequent flyer accout by calling American and asking for their AAdvantage department.
In 12 short months you'll have 22,000 miles. Use the AAdvantage card (or Diners where usable) for ALL YOUR PURCHASERS FROM GAS, GROCERIES, DENTIST, SCHOOL ETC. We just had new windows put in (7,500 miles) etc. etc.

You will EASILY have at the very least 25,000 miles at years end. That gives you a free flight anywhere in the continental U.S. Two ways to view the $145 you paid...first, it's way less than most RT fares to Orlando, NY, New Orleans etc. IF that's not enough American includes a SECOND FREE FLIGHT. Ex. 25,000 mile award is good for free flight to NY and then free flight from NY to Miami and then home. Other airlines do NOT offer such second free flight. SO like at least 50% off first flight and totally free second flight.

Likely you'll have 35,000 or 40,000 miles at years end.
We're using the 35K award for free Hawaii flight and the 2nd free flight anywhere in the U.S. to Buffalo to access Niagara and Canada and then we could  return on another free Buffalo flight.

At 40K you can fly in low season almost anywhere in  Europe AND American again offers a second free flight in Europe. Also, AMerican includes Moscow and even the Middle East in zone 3 which is Europe so for the 40K you can go RT to Moscow etc.  Ex. We fly to Paris then visit the Greek Islands for a month with the second free flight Paris to Athens THEN you still get another FREE American Gateway city flight so we flew from Paris to Miami for a visit to ORlando before returning home. Adding up the actual cost of those three flights is fun!

Last I heard United was offering a free companion ticket to anyone obtaining their United first mileage plus visa card. A $50 outlay that could be worth $400-$600.

Once you get into this 'accumulating miles mode' good things will happen. I just cancelled my Diners and sponsored Patty for her own card. She receives the 12,000 miles and I get 3,000 miles for sponsoring her. You get 3,000 miles for every friend you sponsor.

We noticed the Healthy CHoice promotion about 3 years ago.
We invested in $600 of single serving chocolate pudding, donated the pudding to charity, took a write off,AND received 265,000 AMerican miles.

Two months ago I got junk flyers in the mail. Actually applied for four new credit cards spending about $240 AND received 50,000 miles that equals one free RT to Hawaii Plus more than half a ticket anywhere in the lower 48. Or I just add 10,000 miles and have TWO ANYTIME RT tix to Maui which are often selling these days for $500 - $600 EACH.

Hope you find these 'thoughts' helpful. Steve T.